By Phenyo Selinda
In his first official act as the new Democratic Alliance (DA) Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Leon Schreiber has announced the extension of temporary concessions for foreign nationals awaiting the outcomes of visa, waiver, and appeal applications. This decision, made on Thursday, 04 July 2024, comes just one day after Dr Schreiber was sworn in.
Commitment to Fairness and Efficiency
Dr Schreiber stated, “This extension safeguards applicants – including those who are contributing to South Africa through their scarce skills – from suffering adverse consequences or being erroneously declared undesirable while they await the outcome of applications submitted to the Department.”
The Minister acknowledged that processing delays have been an issue, contributing to significant backlogs. He highlighted that while progress has been made, there remains a substantial backlog across various visa and permit categories. This extension is a step towards protecting applicants as the Department continues to work on reducing these delays.
A Vision for an Improved Visa System
Dr Schreiber emphasised that the decision aims to avert adverse consequences for applicants seeking lawful visas to contribute to South Africa, either through their skills or as tourists. He said, “The decision to extend the temporary concession serves as a signal of intent to reinvigorate the Department of Home Affairs and position it as a vital economic enabler.”
To build confidence in this new approach, Minister Schreiber assured that any further extensions or modifications to these concessions would be communicated in writing before the new expiry date of 31 December 2024.
Detailed Measures Announced
The following temporary measures apply with immediate effect:
- Waiver Applications: Visa holders with pending waiver applications as of 30 June 2024, are granted an extension until 31 December 2024. Applicants wishing to abandon their waiver applications and leave South Africa will not be declared undesirable if they exit before or on 31 December 2024. Those needing to travel can re-enter South Africa without being declared undesirable, but non-visa exempt applicants must apply for a port of entry visa.
- Visa Applications: Visa holders with pending long-term visa applications (such as Visitor’s, Business, Study, Relative’s, and Work Visas) as of 30 June 2024, are granted an extension until 31 December 2024. Applicants are not allowed to engage in activities beyond their visa conditions. Those wishing to abandon their applications will not be declared undesirable if they exit before or on 31 December 2024. Applicants needing to travel can re-enter South Africa without being declared undesirable, but must apply for a port of entry visa if they are non-visa exempt.
- Appeal Applications: Visa holders appealing a negative decision on long-term visa applications are granted an extension until 31 December 2024. Those wishing to abandon their appeals will not be declared undesirable if they exit before or on 31 December 2024. Applicants needing to travel can re-enter South Africa without being declared undesirable, but must apply for a port of entry visa if they are non-visa exempt.
- Short-Term Visas: Holders of short-term visas issued for 90 days or less, who have applied for a renewal but have not received an outcome, must depart from South Africa within 90 days from the expiry date of their principal visa to avoid being declared undesirable.
These measures apply only to foreign nationals who have been legally admitted into South Africa and have submitted their applications via VFS Global.
DA’s Support for the Extension
Werner MP, DA Spokesperson, praised the Department’s decision. He said, “The DA commends the Department of Home Affairs’ decision to extend temporary visa concessions for foreign nationals in South Africa who are still awaiting the outcome of their visa, waiver, and appeal applications due to processing delays. We are confident that under Dr Schreiber’s leadership, the DHA will implement plans to reduce the backlog and attract skilled foreign nationals, investments, tourism, and job creation.”
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